smokers

[Scadsobees]

I have a pellet stove so have 3 tons or so in the garage     They sell pellets at most big box stores, hardware, and farm stores.  $5/40 lbs and that will last a while. I do find that they are much harder to light, but once burning good and hot smoker will burn the pellets.  Some people use a blow torch to light their wood pellets.  I don't use them too often, only for examining all of the hives.

I also have a pine tree so I pay the kids to gather a few bags of dry pine needles. 

One of my favorites is bark that drops from my sycamore tree. (the kids gather that too) Dry mulch works well.

Rick

[BjornBee]

I used to buy a bag of pine and a bag of cedar shavings at the tractor supply store, them mix them. And pine needles are my favorite for the smell, but I go through way too much. Now I have a source for wood shavings. Not sawdust, but shavings. This woodworking operation does replicas for such places as Colonial Williamsburg Virginia, and they plane down much wood. The shavings "curl" the wood just right to allow air to keep the fire going great.

Look around for a wood working operation. It's free.

[Brian D. Bray]

Dryer lint makes good smoker starters.  As for fuel, I use bailing twine, paper pulp egg cartons or packing, half rotten wood, gunny sacks (burlap), worn out terry towels, hay or straw, wood shavings, sawdust, and a bunch of other things.  In other words I use what's at hand.  It all works.

[Natalie]

You know, I have bags of shavings that I buy at the grain store for the chickens I raise so I am assuming those would be okay to use too?
That would be very convenient since I always have them around.
You are right about a woodworking operation, I am looking for one and as long its not cedar I can use them for the chicken coops.
The pellets are cheap and I could keep those around.  The garden store down the street is selling off their old bags of mulch too.
Well at least there is some options that are easy enough for me to get and keep on hand.
Thanks for all the help.......now I just have to decide between those two smokers.